Why is my bearded dragon's arm swollen? MBD, fracture, or infection?

The swollen leg may be due to injury, infection or nutritional deficiency. Ideally, Rainn should be physically examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles to diagnose and treat the underlying cause. This may require x-rays and lab work. Review his diet and environment with your veterinarian. The basics required include a 10 gallon tank (at minimum), UVB lighting, a heat lamp focused on a basking spot, 2 hides (one on the coolside, one on the warm side and a shallow water bowl. The heat lamp should provide a temperature gradient across the enclosure. Substrate can be reptile carpet, slate, paper towels or wood chips. A balanced diet of appropriately sized prey (crickets, dubia roaches, mealworms, Phoenix worms, etc) and fresh greens and vegetables should be offered daily. Vitamin supplements and calcium supplementation should also be provided. You can review dragon care at the link below. http://www.anapsid.org/bearded.html

A big concern regarding the swelling and lameness would be metabolic bone disease (MBD). Ideally, Beans should be examined by your herp veterinarian to diagnose injury or illness. In the meantime, review the diet, vitamin/mineral supplementation and UVB lighting. Confirm the bulb is not obstructed by glass or plexiglass and replace if older than 6 months old. Gut load all prey for 24 hours prior to offering to maximize3 nutritional value. Use quality supplements such as Rep-Cal HerptiVite and Calcium w/Vit D3.

Thanks for reaching out about Jasper and including a photo. This limb is necrotic tissue and non-viable. A veterinary visit is needed as this limb needs to be amputated before infection spreads further. Systemic antibiotics might slow spread but will not cure the limb. Sorry. Please call your veterinarian. Good luck.

MBD can be treated, but Dobbie may never be "normal". Ideally, he should be physically examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles. If he has MBD, he likely has other issues related to poor husbandry and nutrition. Submit a stool sample to diagnose intestinal parasites. He may need antibiotics to help with the wound on his face. There maybe nothing to be done with the tail other than partial amputation if it is causing discomfort. Your vet can determine this after an exam. With the proper care and support, he can lead a close to normal life. You can review water dragon care at the link below. Kudos to you for rescuing the little guy! http://www.triciaswaterdragon.com/dragoncr.htm

Hello, sorry to hear about Spice. It sounds like she may be having metabolic bine disease from some dietary deficiencies. Other causes may be due to rough flooring or substrate in its cage. Your veterinarian may have recommended some changes in her diet, however metabolic bone disease may carry a poor prognosis as it is challenging to correct this disease if it is too advanced. It will take quite some time also, to see improvement. Best of luck!

Do not give Ronnie any medications without the advice of your veterinarian. Make sure she is warm and keep her as stress free as possible. Remove climbing branches temporarily to prevent falls. Blood work can be done to check uric acid levels to confirm or rule out gout and to assess kidney function. Other possibilities include metabolic bone disease (mbd) and a fracture.

An exam with an experienced herp veterinarian would be strongly recommended. You can find one here: https://arav.site-ym.com/search/custom.asp?id=3661 In the meantime, keep the affected area clean and dry. Keep Lenny warm and as stress free as possible. Consider increasing tank temps by 5-10 degrees F to aid in recovery. make sure he continues to eat and soak him in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte to maintain hydration. The veterinarian listed below is about 30 minutes from your location. Dr. Alistair Ker Active Veterinarian Thorold Vet Hospital Practise owner 2-B Sullivan Ave Thorold Ontario L2V 2X9 Canada (905)227-7644 (Phone) (905)227-8820 (Fax)